Airbnb rental permission requests dominate Woodstock planning meetings
Non-resident property owners need special-use permits to offer their properties as short-term rentals, thanks to recently passed regulations.
Politics & Government
In Kingston, Schumer warns of ‘ghost guns’
U.S. senate minority leader Chuck Schumer was in Kingston on Monday to warn of the danger posed by untraceable “ghost guns” and to call for immediate federal action to mandate background checks on all large firearms components. Schumer’s visit coincides with a recent spike in gun violence in the city.
Saugerties village supports bail reform reform
At the urging of town police chief Joe Sinagra, the Saugerties village board on Tuesday, Feb. 18 adopted a resolution calling for the state’s controversial new bail reform laws to be further reformed.
New Paltz reconsiders Plains Rd. water district following court win
The community needs a backup water source during upcoming repairs to the Catskill Aqueduct. Neighbors have sued multiple times to prevent the formation of a water district, which would result in the tapping of the aquifer beneath their properties, but those suits have been repeatedly dismissed, most recently last December.
Proposed Saugerties ethics code amendment addresses nepotism
The Town of Saugerties Ethics Committee is seeking out citizen input after drafting an amendment to Section 22 of the town’s ethics code, which defines and addresses nepotism when it comes to town employees.
Sofranko gets going in Olive
On the eve of his second town board workshop and meeting as Olive supervisor, we asked Jim Sofranko how things were going in his new job.
Woodstock Town Board will oversee renovations to town offices
Woodstock Town Supervisor Bill McKenna surprised some town lawmakers by announcing at the end of the regular meeting February 11 that he’s stepping back from the Comeau renovation project and leaving it largely up to the Town Board.
No easy path for activists’ demands for Kingston police reforms, city officials say
Police reform advocates say they’re frustrated by the Common Council’s failure to move ahead quickly with legislation that would make major changes to the makeup and power of the city’s police commission and revamp the process for handling civilian complaints of officer misconduct.
Kingston mayor’s restructuring plan puts wife in line for new job, big raise
Mayor Steve Noble is seeking the Common Council’s support for a plan that would fold the city’s Parks and Recreation Department into the Department of Public Works. Noble’s proposal also calls for the appointment of his wife, Julie Noble, and his former confidential secretary, Lynsey Timbrouck, to senior positions in the department. The merger proposal comes as longtime Parks and Rec chief Kevin Gilfeather gets set to retire in April.
Ulster exec promises 1,000 jobs in 1,000 days
The focus of Pat Ryan’s first State-of-the-County address at Kingston High School was programs and initiatives that would provide more economic opportunities to keep more young people in Ulster County after graduation. Ryan graduated from the school 20 years ago.